Shocking news to hear of the death of Kevin Walker, AKA Geordie. Aged only 64, his demise came down to a stroke. Like many things from the underground or indie scene, he was beloved by those in the know and resonated much more widely with those he inspired or influenced…

Sonny Bono — “I Told My Girl to Go Away” — Sonny’s sole solo album, his late ’67 psychedelic opus Inner Views, is not well known — Bruce Eder notes that it “disappeared without a trace of its passing.” “My Girl” is Gabe Crawford’s “favorite song of the album,” “[a] ballad explaining how he has to tell the girl he…

Heavy Rotation — Suburbia, Pet Shop Boys (Please, 1986) — Incessant Airplay. That’s how they used to sell music, and heavy rotation was a music industry term for songs that, one way or another, got it. It referred to the large number of times a particular record was placed on turntables at radio stations. Until the 1980s, this was the…

The illusion of popularity in streaming platforms — A couple of years ago, Music Business Worldwide unearthed a shady operation out of Bulgaria that’s as fascinating as it is alarming. It revealed the dark side of the streaming economy. Two obscure playlists, “Soulful Music” and “Music From The Heart,” appeared on Spotify and rapidly climbed Spotify’s global playlist…

I just got done reading this piece by Terry Barr, as well as listening to all the songs he picked: All of Me Loves All of These Songs Ten songs to thrill me, plus onemedium.com Terry was prompted by an article by Scott-Ryan Abt — you’ll find the link in his piece. …

On its 20th anniversary, Anthony Hamilton’s debut stands as a modern soul classic — A few years back, I tweeted that Anthony Hamilton should record an album of chain gang work songs, because his voice makes every song sound like a prison dirge. Hamilton didn’t respond. If he saw it, I hope he took it for the compliment it was meant to be. John…

Grand Tour of my Favorite Albums — Here’s the next installment of my personal top 200 albums. 120. M83 — Saturdays = Youth (France, 2008) This dreamlike, uplifting album brimming with synths is always a source of satisfaction for me. The songs are digestible, accessible, and enjoyable, and the harmonious balance between male and female vocals is…

A leap from your comfort zone may bring unexpected rewards, so give it a go — November 26, 2016, was a milestone day, marking my first public singing performance as an adult. Oh, alright — I forgive you for being unaware of my musical career. …

‘When My Time Comes’ by Dawes — “I thought one quick moment that was noble or brave would be worth the most of my life” is one of the beginning lines of “When My Time Comes” by Dawes. I correlate it with when I lost contact with reality the first time. I took some cigarettes from a…